Junior Toastmasters

On Tuesday, fifteen children and six moms gathered in our living room for a "Junior Toastmasters" get-together. The kids took turns climbing up our stairs to the landing and either reciting a selection from memory or reading aloud to the audience. Every child participated. A three year old girl even joyfully climbed up and when her mom asked her, "Who made you?" chimed in, "GOD!" and climbed back down. Two kids told made-up jokes. Some kids recited verses. One young girl read a short essay that she wrote herself. Other selections included a reading from Luke, a poem by Shel Silverstein, a section from a book about animals, and a dramatic reading of a picture book.

Evan read a short part from the book My Side of the Mountain. Reading it aloud has whet his appetite to read it yet again. He actually read that book clear through in first grade and has listened to it twice on tape!

Matthew read the poem "The Animal Store": "If I had a hundred dollars to spend, or maybe a little more..." (From the Golden Book of Poetry that I had as a child.)

Sophie recited Genesis 1:1-6 which we are learning as a part of our church memory program. She enjoyed playing with four other little girls and wanted to call them as soon as they left.

Each family brought a sack lunch and we ate together as well.

The boys formed two teams and staged mock battles in the basement. Some of the boys dressed up in disguises.

We got connected with this group of children starting with our congregation's VBS. I met a family with three boys the same age as our kids. We have had some "play dates" with them. We were invited to a birthday party for one of their boys recently and met many of the kids from their church. The idea of the recitation was proposed and we decided to hold it at our house. We also invited a boy from our homeschool swim class and his mom to attend.

We are looking forward to the Christmas "Manners" Tea that one of the moms is planning on hosting December 20th.